Antistorage control apparatus for railway track switches



March 20, 1951 T. CARLSON 2,545,841

ANTISTORAGE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRACK swrrcmas Filed Jan. 11,1950 IN V EN TOR.

T1100 01 Uarlsozz HIS A T TOHNE Y Patented Mar. 20, 1951 .ANTISTORAGE*GONTROL APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRACK SWITCHES Theodore L. Carlson,Richmond, Va, assignor to TheUnion Switchand Signal Company,Swissvale,.'Pa., .-a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 11,1950, Serial No. 137,996

My invention relates to anti-storage control apparatus for railwaytrackswitches'. More particularly, my invention relates to anarrangement for effecting operation of a railway trackswitch only ifapparatus responsive to tra'fiic conditions adjacent the switch isenergized at the time that manual control apparatus is conditioned foreffecting operation. of the'switch,

In control apparatus for railway track switches and signals embodyingcontrol levers whichare mechanically interlocked, each switch controllever is, according to well-known practice, commonly equipped with anelectric lock which can be energized for releasing the associated switchlever only if a switch locking relay which is responsive to tramcconditions adjacent an as-' sociated switch is energized. It followsthat such av switch control lever can'ibe moved from either of itscontrol'posi'tions to the other only at such times' as the associatedswitch locking relay is energized.

On the other hand, in control apparatus for railway track switches andsignals in which the control levers arev not. interlocked but are freeto be moved at any time, the switch control. leverscan be moved whilethe associated switch. looking relays aredeenergized. The 'circui'ts'forofpcrating the, track switches, however, cannot become energized forefiecting movement. of the switches until the associatedswitchlockingrelays become energized;

=pos1t1on 'Wlll still not become closed when the switch. locking relaysubsequently becomes, ener-' 9 Claims. (Cl. 246 -219) It has been found,though,v that under some" conditions, there may be a momentary loss ofshunt of a track circuit, so that an'associated track relay maymomentarily close itsfront con-' tacts'and efiect energization of anassociated switch locking relay while the 'associated track section isoccupied. If the switch control arrangement were such thatthe switchcontrol could be stored, that is, if it were such that a switchoperating circuit could become closed during a loss of shunt periodwhich would effect movement of a switch because-of previous movement ofa switch control lever during occupancy of a track section, there wouldbe a dangerous condition.

An object of my invention, therefore, for protecting against suchdangerous operation of a railway track switch, due to a momentary lossof shunt, is to provide a switch control'arrangement such that theswitch control cannot be stored.

A feature of my invention for attaining this object is the provision ofan arrangement embodying an electrical control-device, shown intheaccompanying drawing as an energy storing device such, for example, asacapacitor D, which becomes energized, while a switch control lever isbeing moved from one of its extreme or switch controlling positions; tothe other, only if an associated switch locking relay is energized. Uponfurther movement of the switch control lever 'to' a switch controllingposition, a switch control re-. lay becomes energized; for effectingcorresponding operation of an associated switch in response to thecapacitor in, its energized'or' charged condition, only if theassociated switchlocking re.- lay is still energized.

With apparatus embodying my invention, if, while a given switch lockingrelay is deenergized', an associated-switch control lever is moved fromeither of its extreme positions 'to the other, the associated switchoperating; "circuit cannot become'closed for eiiecting a correspondingmovement of an associated switch.v If the switch control lever is thenleft in the position to which it was'moved while. the associated switchlooking relay was deenergized, the switch operating circuit for movingthe. switch to a corresponding gized either due to a loss of shunt ofthe track section or due to the track section having become vacated.With apparatus embodying my 'invention,a switch operating circuit canbecome closed only if the associated switch control lever is moved to acorresponding position while the associated switch locking .relay' isenergized.

I shall describe one form of apparatus. em bodying my invention, andshall then point. out

the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view showing one iorm ofapparatus embodying my invention, in which a capacitor becomes charged,while a. switch control lever is being moved from one of its controlpositions to the other, only if an associated switch locking relay isenergized. If the capacitor has become charged a. switch control relaybecomes operated by energy discharging from the capacitor for closing acorresponding switch operating circuit when the associated control leverreaches the associated control position.

Similar reference characters refer to similar partsin the drawing.

Referringfurther to the drawing, two railway tracksare showninterconnected by a crossover track, at oneend of which is a trackswitch designated by the reference character AW, and atthe other end ofwhich is a track switch designated by the reference character BW.

The rails l and la of one of the tracks are divided by insulated joints3 to form a track section, designated by th reference character AT, inwhich switch AW is located, and the rails 2 and 2a of the other trackare .divided by insulated joints 3 to form a track section, designatedby the reference character ET, in which switch BW is located. Each ofthese track sections is provided with a track circuit including asuitable source of current, such as a battery 4, connected across therails adjacent one end of the section, and a track relay, designated bythe reference character R, preceded by the reference character AT or ETfor the associated track section, connected across the rails adjacentthe opposite end of the section.

A switch locking relay, designated by the reference character WLR, iscontrolled by a circuit whichincludes front contacts 5 and 6 of relaysATR and BTR, respectively, and which may also include contacts of otherrelays not shown in the drawing. Since track relays ATR. and BTR areresponsive to trafiic conditions on the railway tracks adjacent switchesAW and BW, it is well known that relay WLR, which is controlled byrelays ATR and BTR, is also responsive to traf fic conditions on therailway tracks adjacent switches AW and BW.

Switches AW and BW are provided with mechanisms designated by thereference characters AM and BM, respectively, by which the switches maybe moved or operated, from the normal extreme position in which they areshown in the drawing, to the opposite or reverse extreme position. Theswitch mechanisms may be of any suitable design such, for example, asthe wellknown electro-pneumatic type or the electric motor type.

Movement of switches AW and BW between their extreme positions bymechanisms AM and BM, respectively, is controlled or effected by aswitch control relay, designated by the reference character WSR, shownin the drawing as of the polar stick type having a normal controlwinding 9 and a reverse control winding l2. A contact M of relay WSRbecomes closed in the normal position, in which it is shown in thedrawing, in response to energization of normal control winding 9 ofrelay WSR, and remains closed in that position until the reverse controlwinding H! of relay WSR. becomes energized. When the reverse controlwinding [2 of relay WSR becomes energized, contact M of relay WSRbecomes closed in the reverse position, which is shown in the drawing bya dotted line. When both windings of relay WSR are deenergized, contactI4 of relay WSR. will remain closed in the position to which it was lastpreviously operated.

A manually operable switch control device shown -as a lever, designatedby the reference character WV, has normal and reverse positionsdesignated by the reference characters n and 1', respectively, and hasalso the positions a and 6 between the n and 1' positions. Contactsoperated by lever WV are represented on the drawing by circles. Thesecontacts are closed when the lever WV is moved to the positiondesignated by the letters shown in the corresponding circles. ContactsI9 and [3 of lever WV, the circular representations of which enclose theletters n and r, are accordingly closed when lever WV is in its n or rposition, respectively. Contact II of lever WV is closed when lever WVis in the a position 4 or the e position or at any point between thesetwo positions.

An electrical control device which may be of the energy storing typesuch, for example, as a capacitor D, shown in the drawing, becomesenergized by a circuit including contact ll of lever WV and the frontpoint of contact 1 of relay The normal and reverse control windings 9and I2, respectively, of relay WSR, are controlled by circuits whichinclude contacts l0 and 83, respectively, of lever WV, and contacts Iand 8 of relay WLR. These circuits are energized by the discharge ofenergy stored in capacitor D.

Having described, in general, the arrangement and control of the variousparts of apparatus embodying my invention, I shall now describe thecircuits and operation in detail.

As shown in the drawing, all parts of the apparatus are in the normalposition, that is, track sections AT and BT are unoccupied, andtherefore track relays ATR and BTR, respectively, are energized; each ofthe switches AW and BW is in its normal position; relay WLR isenergized; lever WV is in its normal or n position; relay WSR isdeenergized; capacitor D is in its deenergized or discharged condition;and contact [4 of relay WSR is closed in the normal position to theleft, as shown in the drawing, although relay WSR is deenergized.

The circuit by which relay WLR is energized passes from terminal B of asuitable source of current such, for example, as a battery Q, shown inthe drawing, through contacts 5 and 6 of relays ATR and BTR,respectively, and the wind-- ing of relay WLR to terminal N of the samesource of current.

The circuit for energizing the normal control winding 9 of relay WSR isclosed, this circuit 1 passing from capacitor D, through the front pointof contact I of relay WLR, contact 8 of relay WLR, winding 9 of relayWSR, and contact H] of lever WV, back to capacitor D. Capacitor D is,however, in its deenergized or discharged condition, and, therefore,control winding 9 of relay WSR is not now energized by the circuit justtraced.

I shall assume that, with apparatus arranged as shown in the drawing, aleverman decides to reverse switch AW and BW for a traffic movement overthe crossover track. He will, therefore, move lever WV from the 11.position to the 1' position.

Contact ll of lever WV will be closed while lever WV is being moved fromthe position a to the position e between positions n and 1', so thatcapacitor D will be energized by a circuit passing from terminal B,through the front point of contact I of relay WLR, capacitor D, andcontact H of lever WV to terminal N. Capacitor D, therefore, becomescharged by energy supplied to the circuit just traced from battery Q.The circuit for energizing capacitor D becomes opened when lever WVpasses beyond position c.

When lever WV reaches its r position, a circuit becomes completed forenergizing reverse control winding [2 of relay WSR by the discharge ofenergy which has been stored in capacitor D,

this circuit passing from capacitor D, through. the front point ofcontact I of relay WLR, contact 8 of relay WLR, winding I2 of relay WSR,and contact l3 of lever WV, back to capacitor D. Contact M of relay WSRis therefore moved to its reverse position, and remains closed in thatposition after capacitor D has been deenergized by being discharged.

Reverse operating circuits :are'therefo're closed for-mechanisms AM andBM, passing fromterminal B, through contact l4- of relay WSR closed inthereverse position, and mechanisms AM and BM in multiple with eachother, to terminal N. Switches AW and BW are therefore moved to theirreverse position.

I shall next assume that the leverman decides to return switches AW andBW to their normal position, He will therefore return lever WVtoward-the;n position. Capacitor D nowbecomes energized or charged again by energysupplied to the circuit previously traced; through Contact! l of leverWV, by battery-Q.

When lever WV reaches the n position, the circuit previously tracedthrough contact ll] of lever WV is completed for energizing the normalcontrol winding 9 of relay WSR. by the discharge of energy which hasbeen stored in capacitor D. Contact M of relay WSR is therefore nowmoved to its normal position, and remains closed in that position aftercapacitor D has been deenergized by being discharged.

Normal operating circuits are therefore now closed for mechanisms AM andBM passing. from terminalB, through contact 14 of relay WSR closed inthe normal-position, and the mechanisms AM and BM in multiple with each.other, to terminal N.- 1Switches AW and BW are there-- fore now returnedto their normal position.

I shall now assume that, with all parts of the apparatus again in thenormal condition, a car or short train enters; section BT, and thatwhile section ET is thus occupied, the 'leverman moves lever W V to ther position.

. On account of section BT being occupied, re

lay BTR will be deenergized and, in turn, relay WLR will be deenergizedbecause contact 6 of relay Bfi-R is open. With relay WLR deenergized,contact I of the relay will be opened at its front point, and thereforethe circuit previously traced for energizing capacitor D will not becomeclosed. Furthermore, contact 1 of relay WLR will now be closed at itsback point, so that any charge which there might have been. in capacitorD will be dissipated through this back contact point and insure thatcapacitor D will be completely discharged.

If, while section ET is occupied, there should be a momentary lossoftrack shunt, so that relay BTR would close its contact 5, causing relayWLR-to in turn also become energized for a brief P d. t me. h?.. flli pv ou c d r energizing reverse control winding l2 of relay WSR wouldbecome closed. On account of capacitor D not being charged, however,winding E2 of relay WSR would not become energized by this circuit and,therefore, contact M of relay WSR would remain closed in the normalposition shown in the drawing.

It follows that, with my invention, there is no storage of control forthe switch control relay WSR, so that operation of switch control leverWV while the trafiic responsive switch locking relay WLR is deenergizedwill not cause relay WSR to become energized if relay WLR shouldsubsequently become energized through a momentary loss of track shunt.Ilf switches AW and BW could be operated due to a momentary loss oftrack shunt of section BT while this section is occupied, a car or trainmight be wrecked or at least derailed due to the switches being thrownunder the car or train.

In order to eiiect operation of switches AW and BW to the reverseposition after section BT becomes vacated, it is necessary for theleverparting from the spirit 6. manffirst totniove lever WVtouan.intermediate position. for closing contact. ll' of lever WV in thecircuit for energizing capacitor D, and then return lever. WV to the 2position.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatusembodying my invention, it is understood that various changes andmodifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims withoutxdeand scope of my invention. Having thus describedmyinvention, what I claim is: f

1 Anti-storage control apparatusfor a. rail- T way track switchcomprising, in combination, .a

switch locking relay which is normally energized but which at timesbecomes deenergized in re-.

sponse to trafilc conditionson the associated railway track adjacentsaid switch, a switch control lever having normal and reverse positionsapolar stick switch control relay, a capacitor, means but which at timesbecomes deenergized in response to trailic conditions on the associatedrailway track adjacent said switch, a switch controlv lever havingnormal and reverse positions, a polar stick switch control relay, acapacitor, means controlled by said lever when between its said normaland reverse positions for charging said capacitor if said switch lockingrelay is energized, and means controlled by said lever'in its normal andreverse positions for energizing said polar stick relay by current fromsaid capacitor if said switch locking relay is energized for controllingmovement of said switch to normal and reverse positions respectively.

3. Anti-storage control apparatus for a rail way track switchcomprising, in combination, a switch lockin relay which is normallyenergized but which at times becomes deenergized in response to trafiicconditions on the associated railway track' adjacent said switch, aswitch control lever havin normal andreverse positions, a polar stickswitch control relay, a capacitor, means controlled by said lever whenbetween its said normal and reverse positions for charging saidcapacitor if said switch locking relay is energized, means controlled bysaid lever in its normal and reverse positions for energizing said polarstick relay by current from said capacitor for controlling movement ofsaid switch to normal and reverse positions respectively, and meanscontrolled by said switch locking relay when deenergized for dischargingsaid capacitor.

4. Control apparatus for a railway track switch comprising, incombination, a manually movable switch control device, a switch lockingrelay which is normally energized but which at times becomes deenergizedin response to trafiic conditions on the associated railway trackadjacent said switch, an energy storing device, means controlled byoperation of said manually movable control device for charging saidenergy storing device only while said switch locking relay is energized,and means energized by said energy storing device controlled by furtheroperation of said manually movable control device while said switchlocking relay is energized for effecting corresponding movement of saidrailway track switch.

5. Control apparatus for a railway track switch comprising, incombination, a manually movable switch control device, a switch lockingrelay which is normally energized but which at times becomes deenergizedin response to traflic conditions on the associated railway trackadjacent said switch, an energy storing device, means controlled byoperation of said manually movable control device for charging saidenergy storing device only while said switch locking relay is energized,means energized by said energy storing device controlled by furtheroperation of said manually movable control device while said switchlocking relay is energized for effecting corresponding movement of saidrailway track switch, and means controlled by said switch looking relayupon becoming deenergized for discharging said energy storing device.

6. Control apparatus for a railway track switch comprising, incombination, a switch locking relay which is'normally energized butwhich is at times deenergized in response to a train on the associatedrailway track adjacent said switch, a manually operable switch controldevice, a first and a second and also a third contact closed by saidmanually operable switch control device in a first and a second and athird position respectively, an energy storing device, means controlledby said third contact and by said switch locking relay in its energizedcondition for charging said energy storing device, and means energizedby said energy storing device controlled by said switch locking relay inits energized condition and by said first and second contacts foreffecting operation of said switch to corresponding positions.

'7. Control apparatus for a railway track switch comprising, incombination, a switch locking relay which is normally energized butwhich is at times deenergized in response to a train on the associatedrailway track adjacent said switch, a manually operable switch controldevice, a first and a second and also a third contact closed by saidmanually operable switch control device in a first and a second and athird position respectively, an energy storing device, means controlledby said third contact and by said switch locking relay in its energizedcondition for charging said energy storing device, means energized bysaid energy storin device controlled by said switch locking relay in itsenergized condition and by said first and second contacts for effectingoperation of said switch to corresponding positions, and meanscontrolled by said switch locking relay in the deenergized condition fordischarging said energy storing device.

8. Control apparatus for a railway track switch comprising, incombination, a manually controllable switch control device, traflicresponsive means which is normally energized but which at times becomesdeenergized in response to traiiic conditions on an associated railwaytrack adjacent said switch, an electrical control device, meanscontrolled by a given operation of said manually controllable switchcontrol device and by said traiiic responsive means in its energizedcondition for energizing said electrical control device, and meanscontrolled by other operation of said manually controllable switchcontrol device and also by said traffic responsive means and saidelectrical control device both in the energized condition for effectingoperation of said switch.

9. Control apparatus for a railway track switch comprising, incombination, a manually controllable switch control device, trafiicresponsive means which is normally energized but which at times becomesdeenergized in response to traffic conditions on an associated railwaytrack adjacent said switch, an electrical control device, meanscontrolled by a given operation of said manually controllable switchcontrol device and by said trafiic responsive means in its energizedcondition for energizing said electrical control device, meanscontrolled by other operation of said manually controllable switchcontrol device and also by said traffic responsive means and saidelectrical control device both in the energized condition for effectingoperation of said switch, and said electrical control device becomingdeenergized if said trafi'ic responsive means becomes deenergized.

THEODORE L. CARLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

